This is an activity about constellations. Learners will first draw familiar pictures and shapes within circles to introduce the concept of pattern recognition, then create their own unique constellation patterns from an arrangement of dots similar...(View More) to those of the constellation Cassiopeia. This is Actividad 6.4 as part of El Universo a Sus Pies, a Spanish-language curriculum, available for purchase.(View Less)

This is an experiment about shadow lengths, geometry, and motion. Learners will use a flashlight and toothpick to create a shadow and will measure changes the length of the shadow as they change the position of the light. This is activity B-1 of...(View More) Universe at Your Fingertips 2.0: A Collection of Activities and Resources for Teaching Astronomy DVD-ROM, which is available for purchase.(View Less)

This activity uses the height of the North Star, Polaris, in the northern horizon as a means of determining the observer's latitude. This link between the height of the star and the latitude was critical for navigation by peoples in the Northern...(View More) Hemisphere. Learners make a quadrant and use it to measure the altitude angle of the North Star projected at different positions around the room to simulate the star's different positions in the sky. This is Activity F-2 of Universe at Your Fingertips 2.0: A Collection of Activities and Resources for Teaching Astronomy DVD-ROM, which is available for purchase.(View Less)

In this activity serving as an introduction to remote sensing, students list what they remember seeing in a familiar environment, check their accuracy, and discuss the results. Then they apply their experiences and new skills to an unfamiliar...(View More) outdoor setting, and suggest reasons why it is important to have detailed depictions of the environment. This activity is part of the Ground Truth Studies Teacher Handbook, which provides more than 20 activities to build student understanding of global change and remote sensing, and includes background chapters for teachers, glossary, and appendices.(View Less)

This is an activity about Moon phases. Learners will use a Styrofoam ball to simulate the Moon, which will be lit by a single light source in the classroom. Then, they will observe how different portions of the Moon ball are illuminated as they hold...(View More) it in various positions, matching the Moon phases' sequential appearance. This is Activity A-3 of Universe at Your Fingertips 2.0: A Collection of Activities and Resources for Teaching Astronomy DVD-ROM, which is available for purchase.(View Less)

This is an activity about solar and lunar eclipses. Learners will use Styrofoam balls and a single light source to model and observe how both types of eclipses occur. This is Actividad 1.4 as part of El Universo a Sus Pies, a Spanish-language...(View More) curriculum, available for purchase.(View Less)

This is an activity about telescopes. Learners will first measure several circles to determine their diameters and calculate their areas. Afterwards, they will cover each circle entirely with pennies and record how many pennies are needed for each...(View More) circle size. The concept to be explored is that as the diameter of a telescope lens or mirror increases, the telescope is thus able to collect more light. This is Activity J-1 of Universe at Your Fingertips 2.0: A Collection of Activities and Resources for Teaching Astronomy DVD-ROM, which is available for purchase.(View Less)

This is an activity about observation. Learners will make a 3-dimensional model of a mock planetary surface inside a box, and then place a lid on top. They will then introduce a simple probe, such as a pencil or stick, at various points through...(View More) regularly-placed holes in the box top to touch the surface below. Then, they will record the depth at which the probe descends, using the data to make a contour map of its surface. This will help learners see how scientists can research objects which are not easily studied strictly by visual means. This is Activity C-7 of Universe at Your Fingertips 2.0: A Collection of Activities and Resources for Teaching Astronomy DVD-ROM, which is available for purchase.(View Less)

This is an activity about craters. Learners will toss rocks of varying sizes into a bin of flour and cocoa. By varying the size and speed of the rocks, learners will determine how the impactors affect the shape and depth of the resulting crater....(View More) This is Actividad 5.1 as part of El Universo a Sus Pies, a Spanish-language curriculum, available for purchase.(View Less)

This is an activity about classifying planetary characteristics. Learners will analyze the provided information about each planet in order to make graphs and Venn diagrams. Then, using both, learners will identify similarities and differences of the...(View More) planets in the Solar System. This is Activity C-11 as part of The Universe At Your Fingertips curriculum, available for purchase.(View Less)